The use and utility of tape measurers has long been a standard tool for various trades and crafts. Tape measurers incorporate a measuring tape made of flexible material that has imprinted various units of lengths. The measuring tape is typically enclosed within a rigid, square housing that allows the tape to be extracted to make a measurement. The housing includes an internal spring mechanisms that biases the measuring tape and automatically retracts the tape back into the housing after a measurement has been made and a tape-release slide-lock is activated.
To safeguard the placement and ease of use of the tape measure, it is held in a tape measure holder. The holder is typically made of a leather or plastic and includes on it backside a belt clip that is clipped to a waist belt or belt slot through which a belt is inserted. To use the tape measure, it is first removed from the holder, or measurement is taken, and thereafter the tape measure is returned to its holder. The utility of clips has been found to have problems in that after a period of time the resiliency of the clip wear out loosing its gripping power and thus, compromise the security of the holder and tape measure.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any tape measure holders that:
1. allow the tape measure to be extracted while still held within a holder that is attached to the waist and, PA0 2. include a light source that allows measurements to be seen in low-light or darkened areas, and PA0 3. includes an implement cavity that allows pencils, markers, tape and other implements used in the trade to be held and easily extracted.
Thus, no patents were found that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, the following U.S. patents were considered related:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. INVENTOR ISSUED ______________________________________ 5,100,037 Kopyta et al 31 March 1992 4,932,576 Ashley 12 June 1990 4,757,927 Rutty 19 July 1988 4,690,316 Peterson 1 September 1987 4,598,027 Johnson 1 July 1986 ______________________________________
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,037 Kopyta et al. patent discloses a tape rule holder formed from two flat pieces of heavy duty leather. The back piece of the tape rule holder includes belt slots in its upper section. The front piece or pocket-forming member of the tape rule holder is configured with peripheral side areas and a bottom area, each defined by a fold line. When the front piece is attached to the back piece there is formed a tape rule pocket having a front wall, side walls and a bottom wall and the side wall present on their inner portion side pocket pressure detent ridges. A leather strap is affixed to the back piece and has a forwardly arched portion within the tape rule pocket to form an inner back pressure ridge. This ridge, together with the side detent ridges apply pressure to a tape rule inserted into the leather tape rule holder to grip and maintain the tape rule therein.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,576 Ashely patent discloses a nail and screw pouch, and tool holder assembly. The assembly includes one or more slidable belt-attached pouch holders with slots through which a belt passes that is worn by the user. Each pouch holder, which may be of leather so as to be relatively stiff, has a pouch hanger member formed of a generally horizontal rigid bar or rail with a plurality of depending U-shaped sections. Each section supports and locates a clip from which a pouch or tool holder hangs.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,927 Rutty patent discloses a holder for suspending a measuring rule to which is attached a spring clip having an inwardly declined deflectable tongue portion. The holder is in a flat configuration and is desired to be inserted over or upon a belt of the user. The holder is in a U-shaped configuration with an outer leg having a laterally extending slot. The slot is configured to receive the tongue portion of the spring clip and defines a narrow lower edge element about which the rule can swing freely, so as to minimize any tendency for inadvertent disassembly. The construction of the holder facilitates one-handed attachment and removal of the rule.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,316 Peterson patent discloses an apparatus for providing quick release retention of work pieces. A receptor that is attachable to a user includes a mechanism for attaching the work piece to the receptor by contact. The receptor is provided with a guard structure to protect against accidental release, without inhibiting quick release when desired.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,027 Johnson patent discloses a holster formed from a blank of resilient sheet material such as sheet steel or the like. The holster is dimensioned to provide a planar rear wall of a width slightly larger than that of the rear wall of the housing of the tape measure to be supported. Side walls of a thickness of the tape measure housing are formed extending from the edges of the rear wall. Front flaps are formed on the edges of each side wall with the front flaps dimensioned to permit the passage of a finger therebetween. A spring joint is formed between the rear wall and the side walls to permit the side walls to flex but biasing the side walls toward each other to frictionally retain a tape measure housing therebetween.